The Dog Who Travelled by Train

The Dog Who Travelled by Train

Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2023 (2023)
Founder	Magdalena Nieć (director), Mojca Tirš and Marcin Siemiątkowski (writers)
Headquarters	Poland
Products	Adventure film for children
Parent	Canal+ Polska, K&K Selekt Film

The Dog Who Travelled by Train (Polish: O psie, który jeździł koleją), also referred to as Lampo, the Travelling Dog, is a 2023 adventure film for children presented in Polish. Directed by Magdalena Nieć and penned by Mojca Tirš alongside Marcin Siemiątkowski, the production was undertaken by Canal+ Polska and K&K Selekt Film. Featuring performances from Liliana Zajbert, Mateusz Damięcki, Monika Pikuła, Maksymilian Zielinski, and Adam Woronowicz, the movie debuted on 25 August 2023. Its narrative centers on Zuzia, a ten-year-old girl coping with illness, who forms a bond with Lampo, a dog known for travelling around the country via train. The plot draws inspiration from Roman Pisarski’s 1967 children’s book O psie, który jeździł koleją, itself based on the true story of Lampo, a dog from 1950s Italy.

Plot

Zuzia (portrayed by Liliana Zajbert), a young girl aged ten suffering from heart disease, finds it difficult to experience happiness despite her parents’ care. Her father Piotr (Mateusz Damięcki) serves as the local station master. Life takes a turn for the better when she befriends Lampo, a White Swiss Shepherd known for travelling across the nation by train. After Zuzia shares a video showcasing Lampo’s journeys online, the dog quickly gains widespread attention. However, the station director (Adam Woronowicz), driven by envy, seeks to have Lampo removed. When separated from her canine friend, Zuzia’s health deteriorates, emphasizing how vital their reunion is to her recovery.

Cast

• Liliana Zajbert as Zuzia
• Mateusz Damięcki as Piotr, Zuzia’s father
• Monika Pikuła as Małgorzata, Zuzia’s mother
• Adam Woronowicz as railway station director
• Maksymilian Zieliński as Antek, son of the director
• Mila Jankowska as Tola
• Milena Lisiecka as Halina, lunch lady
• Henryk Niebudek as Mr. Stanisław
• Dominika Kachlik as waitress
• Daniel Namiotko as railway station worker
• Joanna Jarmołowicz as journalist
• Małgorzata Pieczyńska as Joanna
• Dariusz Jakubowski as Tomasz
• Martyna Woźniak as Julka
• Maja Kowalska as friend of Tola
• Krzysztof Oleksyn as friend of Tola
• Michał Rolnicki as animal control officer
• Piotr Lipko as senior animal control officer
• Robert Talarczyk as uncle
• Waleria Gorobets as volunteer
• Magdalena Nieć as veterinarian
• Żanetta Gruszczyńska-Ogonowska as florist
• Jan Nosal as paperboy
• Robert Płuszka as homeless man
• Jacek Grondowy as train conductor
• Piotr Pilitowski as professor
• Tomira Kowalik as elderly woman
• Olga Miłaszewska as healthcare professional
• Bartłomiej Magdziarz as bank employee
• Jan Kozaczuk as insurance agent
• Szymon Roszak as entrepreneur Tomasz
• Elżbieta Jodłowska as passenger in white fur coat
• Ewa Pająk as neighbour of uncle
• Joanna Borer as passenger using wheelchair
• Patrycja Durska as teacher
• Michał Lepak as gaffer
• Paweł Kumięga as train passenger at station
• Agata Pruchniewska and Marcin Roykiewicz as train drivers
• Feliks Kleyff as receptionist
• Gracja Niedźwiedź as nurse

Production

Under the direction of Magdalena Nieć, the screenplay was crafted by Mojca Tirš alongside Marcin Siemiątkowski. The production team included Beata Ryczkowska, Agnieszka Nejman, and Filip Bałdyga, with Beata Pisula serving as executive producer and Katarzyna Stegnerska as associate producer. The cast features Liliana Zajbert, Mateusz Damięcki, Monika Pikuła, and Adam Woronowicz, while the character Lampo was brought to life by a trio of specially trained dogs. Andrzej Wojciechowski handled cinematography, Łukasz Pieprzyk composed the musical score, Jakub Motylewski was responsible for editing, and scenography was managed by Agnieszka Kaczyńska, Jacek Mocny, and Michalina Rydel. Costume design was overseen by Dzvinka Kukul. The film was produced by Canal+ Polska in partnership with K&K Selekt Film, and its distribution was managed by Kino Świat. The premiere occurred on 25 August 2023.

Shooting locations included Nowy Sącz, with scenes filmed at its railway station and castle, as well as in Warsaw. Although filming was initially intended to take place at the Przemyśl Główny railway station, this plan was altered due to the station’s role in refugee evacuations following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The narrative draws loose inspiration from the 1967 children’s book O psie, który jeździł koleją by Roman Pisarski, which itself was influenced by the story of Lampo, a dog from Campiglia Marittima, Italy, renowned during the 1950s for independently traveling by train throughout the country. The film adapts the story to a Polish setting with modified events; notably, unlike the book where the dog meets a fate similar to that of the real Lampo’s death, the canine protagonist in the film survives.

Sequel

A follow-up film entitled O psie, który jeździł koleją 2, also directed by Magdalena Nieć, is slated for release on 8 August 2025.

External links

• The Dog Who Travelled by Train at IMDb
• The Dog Who Travelled by Train at FilmPolski.pl (in Polish)
• The Dog Who Travelled by Train at Filmweb (in Polish)